Plus, Transparency by Amazon means a transparency code is inserted on product packaging to enable scanning for authenticity.

Be seasonally specific

Your messaging and images will be more effective if you convey a holiday emotion. To connect with shoppers and for their repeat business, emotions will play an important role en route to success.

Use a great branding slogan but avoid year-round generics. That means verbiage in value propositions and images must be holiday-themed. Reinforce ideas for seasonal uses by using suggestive phrases.

Partner with Centers of Influence in your social media for organic interest in your products.

Do your research

Know which of your products are most-likely to sell. Usually, this involves The Pareto Principle. In other words, the 80-20 rule. Eighty percent of your sales will derive from just 20 percent of your products.

Check your search-engine optimization to see that it’s ready for Q4 sales. Update your keywords to take advantage of seasonal opportunities for sales growth.

If you utilize pay-per-click (PPC) or cost-per-click (CPC) advertising, update your search terms and bidding. Note: Bear in mind, you might have to do it on a daily basis.

Take special precautions to monitor questions about your products and customer reviews.

Capitalize on Amazon’s “Deal of the Day”

To take advantage of the Deal of the Day, know that your pricing must be your lowest of the year.

Amazon shoppers anticipate the lowest prices of the year. But be clear on differentiation. Shoppers subconsciously ask themselves the WIIFM question – “What’s in it for me?”

Take great care to make certain you have ample inventory on your earmarked products. If you don’t, of course, you’ll risk losing sales and allowing a black mark on your company’s image.

Remember shoppers love coupon deals.

Again, in advance of your holiday selling, don’t forget your Centers of Influence and social media to promote Amazon sales.

Harness the potential of mobile

This means optimizing for mobile customers.

With less screen space for mobile users, be doubly sure to insert salient features/benefit statements and keywords first.

Note: A+ detail pages are not decreased in size on mobile devices and appear on the screens before your product description.

Test … test … test

A data-driven approach is key. Start early to prepare for sales, so test early. But continue to monitor your data during the sales events.

With A/B testing you’ll be able to discover your top-selling products and deemphasize to poorest-selling items. Analyze, also, your verbiage and other factors including your coupon offers and search-term reports.

From the Coach’s Corner, additional relevant information:

Checklist to Create Cyber Monday Sales Success — In order to celebrate your Cyber Monday sales, you must first create a happy buying environment. That means reviewing your store and Web site to attract prospects and to create happy customers.

Trending: How Merchants Increase Profits in Q4 Holiday Sales — As consumers continue to start earlier and earlier to shop for their holiday giving, merchants are honing their marketing strategies. Their tools include advertising, brand protection, strategic pricing, staging events, and using traditional media and digital.

“Amazon has done something for all of retail, which is resetting the customer expectations about how quickly and easily you can get things.”

-Mary Dillon

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, pleasecontact Terry.